Going Cuckoo

When Birdie and Mimi set out to clear the old barn, they expect dust, cobwebs, and forgotten memories—not a terrified young woman hiding in the shadows with her six-month-old baby.

Athena is no ordinary runaway. She's educated, guarded, and clearly fleeing something she refuses to name. Against better judgment—but guided by instinct—Mimi brings Athena and her daughter into the house, determined to help her rebuild a life in secret.

For a few fragile days, hope blooms.

Then Athena vanishes.

No note. No explanation. Just an empty bed and a baby left behind.

As Mimi steps in to mother the child, Birdie is haunted by one question: what could frighten a woman enough to abandon the one person she loves most? What begins as concern spirals into a dangerous search that exposes buried secrets, powerful enemies, and a truth far darker than either woman imagined.

Because Athena wasn't just running from her past. She was hiding from something that may have finally found her.